Thursday, 3 April 2014

Stadium; the silence of secrecy

I have still not heard what the Council's decision is on the exercise of the land option at Langarth but I have been given a paper with advice by officers to Cabinet members, Hannaford, Folkes and Paynter. An extract is below. What it says is clear.

I have challenged officers as to whether it is really true that use
of the Blue Land for a stadium would put the Council in breach of the
Section 106 Agreement.

The whole rationale for that land was as a stadium site. Officers say
that it has always been clear that the Blue Land could not be used for a
stadium under the Section 106. I am surprised they think so because that was
the only way the land could be secured for a stadium.

Presumably the same advice will be given on any application for a
stadium at Fraddon or for financial support for a stadium from
development at West Langarth. If so, it would be better to say so in order to avoid misunderstandings from the beginning.

This is an issue of immense public interest and we are entitled to demand that the secrecy which surrounds it comes to an end.